It seems like...a lot of the time...we consistently look for evidence to support what we already believe, and we consistently filter out anything to the contrary.
This is the wisest thing anyone in this thread has said. It's true - about everyone, including myself. Nobody really listens to what people with different view points have to say, they just look for things they agree with and nod their heads and take note of it if it sounds like it might be a useful thing to repeat in the future. It is rare for any of us to truly take time to think about anyone else's perspective or the reality that they see. This is why it is almost pointless to post in these forums, or most anywhere. If you say something others disagree with, they will find ways to ignore or deflect or belittle what you have to say with little regard to any truth that might be there if it offends their preconceptions. It's also the reason the world is so full of hate - we hate it when someone disagrees with our preconceptions of the world. It's like they are challenging our reality. And in a way, they are.
Since you used the word "rare" you did get that right. The Bible tells us everyone's ways are right in their own eyes. But there are those rare individuals. When I was twenty-five years old someone showed me something that contradicted what I was taught in school. The problem was the article had the scientific facts that refuted my evolutionary position. I was mentally crushed.
After consulting a psychiatrists I decided there must be Infinite Intelligent Energy. I didn't call it "God", I just realized I'm here and the evolution I was taught was refuted by an evolutionist. It took a few years to convert to being a creationist and a couple more years to become a Bible creationist.
Once I became a Bible creationists I read the Bible and accepted it for the Word of God. There was no room for compromise. Quite quickly I got tired of so many "Christians" compromising with the Word of God and still rejecting so much of it.
"Only Christ is the fullness of God's revelation." Everyday Hunter
